(79871) Earthrise Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 December 1998 by CSS at Catalina.
“Earthrise” is a photograph taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon. Showing Earth above the lunar horizon, it changed humanity’s perception of its home planet and became an icon of the environmental movement. This asteroid was discovered on the 30th anniversary of the photograph.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #7, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Earthrise is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Earthrise is 2.66 au from the Sun and 1.94 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 79871 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 YT7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.95 |
| Orbital period | 4.17 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.59 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.42 – 2.77 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0676 |
| Inclination | 22.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.53 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.